The present invention relates to a firearm capable of accepting different cartridge capacity magazines. In particular, the present invention relates to a handgun capable of operation in conjunction with either a narrow body or a wide body magazine.
A firearm is a manufacture capable of expelling a projectile towards a target upon ignition of a primer located behind the projectile (commonly referred to as a bullet) to generate a motive force. The projectile, the primer and a disposable casing housing the projectile and the primer comprise a cartridge. A firearm can be a rifle, shotgun, or a handgun. A handgun can be a pistol with a frame and a slide, or a revolver. A pistol is an automatic or semi-automatic firing handgun. The pistol frame can comprise a horizontal portion upon which the slide rests and a downwardly extending grip. The pistol grip and the part of the frame into which the grip merges can encompass an internal cavity or magazine (i.e. clip) well into which can be inserted a cartridge-containing magazine.
Both narrow body and wide body pistols are known. A narrow body magazine is inserted into the magazine well in the grip of a narrow body pistol. A wide body magazine is inserted into the magazine well in the grip of a wide body pistol. A narrow-body magazine holds a single row of cartridges. A wide-body magazine is loaded with two or more rows of cartridges, which stagger into a single row of cartridges near an upper magazine cartridge egress of the wide body magazine. Cartridges are typically held in and moved within a magazine due to compression of a spring located in the magazine. The cartridges exit from an open upper end of the magazine into the slide. The grooved slide fits over mating rails frame on opposite upper sides of the frame. Alternately, the slide can bear the rails and the frame can have the mating grooves.
Typically, a wide body pistol loaded with a wide body magazine is capable of firing more rounds before it needs to be reloaded, than can a narrow body pistol loaded with a narrow body magazine, where both pistols are using the same caliber of ammunition and the wide body magazine is the same length as the narrow body magazine.
A narrow body pistol can be compact, lightweight, inexpensive and easy to hold and use by a shooter with small and/or weak hands. A wide body pistol typically has a grip with a circumference greater than the circumference of the grip of a narrow body pistol for the same caliber of ammunition.
A narrow body magazine cannot be inserted into any known wide body pistol because the magazine well of a wide body pistol grip is too large to hold a narrow body magazine and/or the configuration of a narrow body magazine prevents its insertion into the magazine well of a wide body pistol.
Similarly, a wide body magazine cannot be inserted into the magazine well of a narrow body pistol at least because the magazine well of a narrow body pistol is too narrow to accept a wide body magazine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,708 discusses a frame/handgrip assembly for autoloading handguns comprising a metal frame structure having guide rails for receiving a conventional slide and for receiving other standard 1911 A1 components. The frame structure defines an internal handgrip having one or more internal keys for establishing mating, interlocked structural relationships with opposed handgrip seats. The frame and handgrip structure may cooperatively define a wide internal magazine receptacle for receiving a wide staggered row, enhanced volume cartridge magazine.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,282 discusses a grip assembly having a pair of side grips and a heel grip. Each side grip has a plurality of inwardly directed projections arranged to conform to the outline of a frame. The heel grip includes a leaf spring and opposite lateral edges which engage the side grips in final assembly to lock the rear edges of the side grips against movement laterally outwardly from the frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,281 discusses a cartridge magazine for storing cartridges that may be used with different firearms. The cartridge magazine includes a number of different latch-related elements for use in engaging different cartridge magazine latching mechanisms found on each style of firearm. A positioning member located on the magazine assists alignment of the cartridges during loading into the firearm so that jamming of the cartridges is eliminated.
Thus, while narrow body pistols, wide body pistols and magazines which will fit into different firearms are known, there appears to be no known firearm which can accept and function with either a narrow body magazine or a wide body magazine. Hence, a need exists for a firearm capable of accepting and operating with either a narrow body or a wide body magazine.